Ly is an 18-year-old student who lives with his extended family in a bustling wooden house, including his father, mother, grandparents, three brothers, and one sister. His father and older brother work in construction, his mother works in a clothing factory, and his other siblings attend school. Ly would like to enter the military someday, but right now is concentrating on his schoolwork. When not studying, Ly likes to play football with his friends and brothers. In December 2023, Ly was involved in a motorbike accident and attempted to break his fall with his right arm. Unfortunately, he broke his right wrist in the process. His parents took him to a military hospital, but they could not afford the care, so Ly received a bamboo splint from a Khmer Traditional Healer for his wrist. He suffers from pain, cannot sleep, and his hand is very swollen. A local non-profit clinic suggested he seek treatment at Children's Surgical Centre. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On February 2nd, Ly will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This surgery will use metal hardware to compress the fragments of his wrist and support optimal healing. Ly said: "Hopefully I'll be able to use my hand again soon, so I can finish school and help my family."

Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”

Gyan is a 14 year-old student joining high school this year from Kenya. He says that he is anxious but looking forward to upgrading to secondary school. He is the firstborn in a family of three children. His siblings are 5 and 12 years old. His father is the sole breadwinner who does hawking for a living. Income from this venture is inconsistent and therefore negligible to pay for the proposed surgery that Gyan needs. Gyan was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Gyan has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Gyan will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 5th. AMH is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Gyan's father says: “The boy is all grown now. I hope the condition is treated to avoid complications in the future.”